It’s not hard to get bogged down by people after travelling for a period of time when there are crowds almost everywhere you go. Whether is it the jostling that you’re tired of or the general fatigue as a result of social interaction, animal cafes provide a little pocket of respite away from the usual hustle and bustle.

After all, there’s little that’s more enjoyable than lazing around with a cuddly friend.

If the conventional cat cafes aren’t for you, why not visit these animal cafes with animals you wouldn’t find anywhere in Singapore instead?

Photo Credit: Cate

BLIND ALLEY (SOUTH KOREA)

Despite the name, none of the animals here are actually blind, nor are they nocturnal of that sort. What you’ll find here are absolutely adorable rambunctious raccoons that would love for nothing but to shake their paws going “juseyo~~” (please give me, in korean) to beg for food. Apart from that, their resident fat corgi greets you as you come in, and along the way to the raccoon’s room you’d even see a capybara!

76 Cheongpa-ro 47-gil
Cheongpadong 2(i)-ga
Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Daily: 11.30am – 10pm

HEDGEHOG CAFE HARRY (JAPAN)

As if the name itself wasn’t obvious enough, this cafe is filled with cute little hedgehogs everywhere. You get to pick your own personal companion to bring to your table. There you can entertain yourself with how these curious critters crawl and burrow around, or even just fall asleep right then and there in your hands. For a small extra cost, you can even purchase mealworms to feed them.

1-13-21 Jingumae 4F
Shibuya 150-0001 Tokyo
Daily: 11am – 7pm

Photo Credit: Lexi

MEERKAT FRIENDS (KOREA)

While the name makes you expect a meerkat-exclusive environment, they have other animals such as an artic fox, a genet, a raccoon, a cat and even a wallaby! Of course, the meerkats are still the star of the show. With their own playpen in the corner, you can sit down and have them interact with you. These creatures are extremely inquisitive, and would love nothing more than to dig into your pockets, so do wear clothes you don’t mind getting wear and tear on.

19-12 Wausan-ro 21-gil
Seogyo-dong Mapo-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Mon to Tues: 1pm – 10pm
Wed to Sun: 12pm – 10pm

OIA CAFE (TAIWAN)

Oia Cafe is home to a few alpacas and they roam around freely in the cafe. You get to play with these adorable white creatures and feed them with carrots or food that are approved by the cafe’s owner, which is also the best way to get the alpacas to take a selfie with you. Cute as the alpacas may be, these furry animals have a tendency to chew on anything they can get their mouths on, so keep your clothes and bags safe!

252, Sanzhi District
New Taipei City, Taiwan
Mon to Fri: 11am – 8pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 9pm

Photo Credit: animalcafes

OWL VILLAGE IN HARAJUKU (JAPAN)

For those worried about cases of owl abuse in cafes, rest assured they were a recipient facility of the Certificate of Excellence of TripAdvisor in 2017 and the owls here are very well taken care of. In this comfortable space, you’re free to hold and stroke the owls, as well as feed them for a small extra fee. The owls are extremely quirky and you’d wish each session was longer.

150-0001 Tokyo Shibuya Jingumae
1 Chome 21-15 4F Shi Harajuku ATM Building
Daily: 11am – 8pm

Photo Credit: Pejman Faratin

PET CAFE (VIETNAM)

Despite the terribly uncreative name, Pet Cafe houses more unconventional animals you usually wouldn’t go ooh and ahh over. In the dim lighting, many tanks house a variety of creepy-crawlies, snakes, lizards, rats and, well, hedgehogs. If you’re daring enough, you’re free to interact with the creatures as you please. If not, just dining among all these pairs of eyes makes for an interesting experience.

So 2 Ngõ 28 Ông Ích Khiêm
Hanoi, Vietnam
Daily: 9am – 11pm

RABBITLAND CAFE (HONG KONG)

Over in a quiet corner of the otherwise busy Causeway district, this cafe is the perfect place to spend time cuddling adorable fluffy rabbits. Most of the rabbits here were once abandoned, now rehomed, giving them a second chance at life. It’s highly recommended that you make an advance booking, as that would allow you to feed them in open cages.

3/F No 530 Jaffe Road
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Daily: 1pm to 9.30pm

Photo Credit: animalcafes

SAKURAGAOKA CAFE (JAPAN)

Have you ever considered a goat cafe? Now you have. Sakuragaoka Cafe is home to two goats that spend most of their time nuzzling each other or looking up curiously at strange and random passersby who coo and caw at them. For a small fee, you can buy treats to feed them, or even sign up to take the goats on a walk.

150-0031 Tokyo
Shibuya-ku Sakuragaokacho
23-3 Shinoda Building
Mon to Fri: 11am – 5am
Sat: 11am – 4am
Sun: 11am – 12am

Photo Credit: Yoneda Yuka

THANKS NATURE CAFE (SOUTH KOREA)

If you can’t get enough of fluffy cloud-like animals, here you can chomp down on strawberry-flavoured waffles in the company of two docile sheep. Though they stay in their own side of their playpen, you’re free to go over and interact with them, without having to pay an extra fee, unlike most other animal-centric places. Do keep in mind due to the hot humid weather, the sheep don’t hang around the cafe in summer.

486 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu
Seoul, South Korea
Daily: 11am – 10pm

TRUE LOVE HUSKY CAFE (THAILAND)

True Love Husky Cafe is really a dog lover’s heaven. With over 20 huskies roaming around the play area, you’re bound to have a good time. Even if you don’t take the initiative to go up to them, the dogs will slowly sniff their way towards you with their tail up high. The biggest highlight of the cafe has to be their tiny little shit tzu that’s also the alpha of the pack, and at the end of every play time, all the dogs will make a glorious mad dash to their resting area.

153 Soi Ari Samphan 2
Samsen Nai Phaya Thai
Bangkok 10400 Thailand
Daily: 12pm – 4pm
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 6.30pm

Tokyo has an abundance of animal cafes. Cat cafes, owl cafes, bunny cafes – you name it, the city probably has it. And now, you can spend your afternoon petting adorable hedgehogs at the HARRY Hedgehog Cafe And Pet Store!

Opened in early 2016 and situated in Roppongi, HARRY Hedgehog Cafe is the newest addition to the animal cafes scene in Japan. The charming little cafe is home to a number of hedgehogs. Sip tea while cozying up to these tiny creatures; you can even feed them!

HARRY is a play on ‘harinezumi‘, the Japanese word for hedgehog. The cafe is housed in a building together with another bunny cafe located on the third floor.

Take a peek at the hedgehogs and the space they call their home. Pick the one(s) you like and the staff will bring them out of the enclosures and into boxes or baskets for you to pet.

Photo Credit: Rocket News 24

If you want to take things to the next level, you can also feed the little animals! Mealworms are available for sale for the mini critters starting from ¥510 (S$6.73).

Because hedgehogs are naturally jittery animals, it is advised that you gently scoop them out of the boxes or baskets with steady hands, and be sure to not make any sudden jerky movements lest you give the animals a shock.

Photo Credit: Rocket News 24

The cafe does not serve food, but you can still help yourself to drinks such as tea on self-service.

HARRY Hedgehog Cafe also doubles up as a pet store! They sell appropriate equipment such as cages, food and other supplies that you might possibly need to care for a hedgehog.

The cafe is often populated, so making a reservation for weekends and public holidays is advised. Entry into the cafe is also chargeable, starting from ¥1,000 (S$13.17) per person for every 30 minutes on weekdays, and ¥1,300 (S$17.13) on weekends.

HARRY Hedgehog Cafe And Pet Store
Roppongi 6-7-2
2F IWAHORI Building
Tokyo, Minato-ku
Tel: 03-3404-8100
Daily: 12pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Roppongi